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Method for reducing allergencity in indoor spaces

Method for reducing allergencity in indoor spaces description/claims

This application is a continuation-in-part of 11/529,586 filed Sep. 29, 2006, which is a continuation-in-part of 11/239,473, filed Sep. 30, 2005, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/153,612, filed May 24, 2002, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/293,183, filed May 25, 2001. The aforementioned applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to medically sound procedures for reduction in environmental allergenicity due to certain airborne allergens known to produce asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic eczema in both humans and animals. Specifically, allergens derived from house dust mites, certain molds, cockroaches, cats and dogs are removed from indoor living spaces to provide sanctuaries for asthma sufferers.

2. Review of Related Art

Asthmatic bronchitis (asthma), allergic rhinitis (hay fever), and atopic eczema are immunologic reactions which, in the majority of cases, are triggered by one or more allergens from five primary sources: cat dander, dog dander, mold spores, cockroach fecal pellets and house dust mite fecal pellets. All of the primary asthmatic allergens from these five sources are protein in nature, typically glycoprotein. These allergens accumulate on various indoor surfaces and in allergen reservoirs, such as carpets, upholstery, mattresses and pillows. The presence of these allergens in any interior space can make that space hazardous for an asthmatic patient.

Of the primary allergens, house dust mite (HDM) accounts for 50-55% of the asthmatic's problems. HDMs proliferate indoors when temperature, humidity and the presence of sloughed epithelial cells (the mite's primary food source) are adequate for their survival and reproduction. Adult HDMs produce 20-30 fecal pellets per day per mite over a life span of 2½ months. Each fecal pellet is heavily inoculated during its midgut formation with proteins (principally digestive enzymes) capable of evoking an immune response.

HDM allergenic proteins have been identified for mites of the genus Dermatophagoides, and the proteins fall mainly into two immunological groups: Der I (Der pI and Der fI) and Der II (Der pII and Der fII). The primary sequence of HDM allergens has been disclosed (see a series of U.S. patents and also reviews by Thomas, et al. (1998), “House-dust-mite allergens,” Allergy, 1998 September; 53(9):821-32; Platts-Mills TA, et al. (1997), “Indoor allergens and asthma: report of the Third International Workshop,” J Allergy Clin Immunol 1997 December; 100(6 Pt 1):S2-24; and Chua Ky., et al. (1996), “Analysis of sequence polymorphism of a major mite allergen, Der p 2,” Clin Exp Allergy. 1996 July; 26(7):829-37). HDMs are primarily found in indoor textiles (carpet, upholstery, mattresses and pillows) where their population can become enormous—well into the millions. Mechanical disturbance can release the proteins from dried fecal pellets into the air, producing an allergenic cloud that will resettle onto textile surfaces over time.

Mold spores account for 10-15% of asthmatic reactions, and four mold genera account for nearly all of the allergenic spores. These genera are: Alternaria, Cladiosporium, Aspergillus, and Penicillium, with Alternaria accounting for about 80% of the mold spore responses of asthmatics. Cat dander accounts for 10-15%, cockroaches account for 5-10%, and dog dander accounts for 5-10% of asthmatic reactions.

HDM, cockroach and mold allergens tend to be larger and heavier; therefore, they often settle on textile-covered surfaces, such as carpets and upholstery. Even after being disrupted, such as when a person walks on a carpet or sits on a sofa, the allergens will only rise up a few feet in the air (e.g., about three feet) and quickly settle again.

Cat and dog allergens, on the other hand, tend to be smaller and lighter; thus, they often “float” in the air for up to six months. Eventually, those allergens will attach to a surface, such as a textile-covered surface, wall or ceiling. However, once they are disrupted, the allergens will again “float” in the air for a lengthy period of time before settling.

Physicians currently address the disorders produced by allergens with symptomatic medicinal approaches, desensitization methods and preventive measures such as textile removal from the home, air filters, dehumidifiers, mattress covers and the like, yet the problem still exists. Ablative HDM chemicals currently in use include short term insecticides or denaturants that reduce the allergenicity of protein allergens, such as the proteins in HDM fecal pellets. Insecticides that have been tested include benzyl benzoate (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,916,917; 6,107,341; and 6,117,440) phenyl salicylate, the organophosphate, pirimiphos methyl (Mitchell, et al., 1985, “Reduction of house dust mite allergen levels in the home: uses of the acaricide, pirimiphos methyl,” Clin. Allergy, 15:234), and synthetic pyrethroids such as permethrin (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,843,981; 5,916,580; and 5,965,602; Glass, et al., “Evaluation of the acaricide permethrin against all stages of the American house dust mite Dermatophagoides farinae Hughes (Pyroglyphidae),” in Mitchell, et al., eds., Acarology IX Proceedings, Columbus, Ohio Biological Survey, 1997, pp. 693-695). International Publication No. WO 98/30236 discloses a pesticide using protease enzymes to kill insects for the purpose of decreasing or eliminating the incidence of allergic reaction to dust, but this reference does not address allergic reactions to the enzyme. Tannic acid has been used to denature HDM fecal pellets short term (Green, “Abolition of allergens by tannic acid,” Lancet, 2:160 1984; U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,142), and polyphenol denaturants have been used in combination with insecticides (Green, et al., 1989, “Reduction of house dust mites and mite allergens: Effects of spraying carpets and blankets with Allersearch DMS, an acaricide combined with an allergen reducing agent,” Clin. Exp. Allergy, 19:203; U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,526).

Either the insecticide treatments or the chemical denaturants must be reapplied at 2-3 month intervals for any hope of efficacy. These products are available over-the-counter, and are subject to the variability existing among do-it-yourselfers who apply such products. These products are also displaced from textiles during vacuuming and become air-borne, are inhaled, and can serve as a major irritant to asthmatics or hay fever sufferers. Therefore, there remains a need for improved methods of reducing allergenicity in indoor spaces to alleviate the suffering of asthmatics and hay fever sufferers.

It is an object of this invention to provide more effective methods for medically addressing asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic eczema by creating “sanctuary” spaces with low allergenicity.

This invention provides methods for reducing allergenicity in an indoor space. In one embodiment, the method uses at least two of the following steps. One step provides for physically removing allergens capable of producing respiratory or skin reactions in asthmatics from allergen reservoirs in the indoor space. A second step provides for denaturing the allergens in the allergen reservoirs to reduce allergic reaction to the allergens. A third step provides for prophylactically preventing reinfestation of the indoor space by house dust mites and molds. In one exemplary embodiment, the step of physically removing allergen from allergen reservoirs is accomplished by vacuuming and hot water washing, the step of denaturing allergens is accomplished by enzymatic hydrolysis of the allergens and/or the step of preventing reinfestation is accomplished by treating allergen reservoirs with a pesticide plus a fungicide. In another exemplary embodiment, these steps are repeated periodically to maintain low levels of allergenicity.

In another embodiment, this invention provides a method for reducing allergenicity in an interior space comprising exposing textile-covered surfaces in an interior space to means for hydrolytically cleaving a plurality of peptide bonds in an allergenic polypeptide selected from the group consisting of house dust mite fecal antigens, cockroach fecal antigens, cat dander, dog dander and mold spores at ambient temperature, wherein the amount of active allergen in the interior space is consequently reduced. In one exemplary embodiment, said means for hydrolytically cleaving peptide bonds is a subtilisin-type protease, more preferably, the subtilisin-type protease is subtilisin savinase.

In yet another embodiment, this invention provides a method for reducing allergenicity in an interior space comprising treating textile-covered surfaces in the interior space with one or more proteolytic enzymes, wherein said one or more proteolytic enzymes cleave peptide bonds in allergenic polypeptides selected from the group consisting of house dust mite fecal antigens, cockroach fecal antigens, cat dander, dog dander and mold spores, and wherein allergenicity in the interior space is lowered. Typically, the textile-covered surface comprises a reservoir for the allergenic polypeptides, and the reservoir may comprise one or more of carpets, bedding, pillows or upholstery. Also, typically, the textile-covered surface is not immersed in water in the method of this invention and/or the textile-covered surface is incubated with the proteolytic enzyme under ambient conditions. In an exemplary embodiment, the proteolytic enzyme is applied to said textile-covered surface periodically, for example, semi-annually. In a another exemplary embodiment, the method of this invention further comprises at least one step selected from the group consisting of (a) vacuuming at least a portion of the allergenic polypeptide from the textile-covered surface and (b) washing the textile-covered surface with hot water to remove the allergenic polypeptide. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the one or more proteolytic enzymes are applied to said textile-covered surface in conjunction with a pesticide that limits house dust mite infestation, such as permethrin. In still another exemplary embodiment, the one or more proteolytic enzymes are subtilisin-type proteases. In even another exemplary embodiment, the enzyme is catalytically active at neutral pH.

In still another embodiment, this invention provides a method for reducing allergen load on an allergen reservoir comprising applying one or more proteolytic enzymes to the reservoir, wherein the one or more proteolytic enzymes cleave sufficient peptide bonds in allergenic polypeptides selected from the group consisting of house dust mite fecal antigens, cockroach fecal antigens, cat dander, dog dander and mold spores to reduce active allergen load in the reservoir. In one embodiment, the reservoir comprises animal fur and the one or more proteolytic enzymes are dispensed from a porous glove. Typically, the method of this invention is not carried out in a controlled reaction environment, but rather, the reaction conditions comprise ambient temperature. In a preferred embodiment, the one or more proteolytic enzymes are applied in conjunction with a pesticide. In an exemplary embodiment, the one or more proteolytic enzymes comprise a subtilisin-type protease, such as one that is catalytically active at a neutral pH. In another exemplary embodiment, the one or more proteolytic enzymes are applied contemporaneously with a pesticide and a fungicide. In a related embodiment, this invention provides an allergenicity-reducing composition comprising one or more proteolytic enzyme, a pesticide active against dust mites and a fungicide active against Alternaria.

In an additional embodiment, the method comprises denaturing, in allergen reservoirs, allergens that are capable of producing respiratory or skin reactions and physically removing the allergens from the allergen reservoirs in the indoor space. In one exemplary embodiment, the step of denaturing the allergens is accomplished by enzymatic hydrolysis of the allergens, the step of physically removing the allergens from the allergen reservoirs is accomplished by hot water washing and, optionally, vacuuming. In another exemplary embodiment, the method further comprises drying the allergen reservoir after the hot water washing. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the enzymatic hydrolysis is carried out by at least one proteolytic enzyme, optionally by two or more proteolytic enzymes. In still another exemplary embodiment, the at least one proteolytic enzyme is a subtilisin-type protease. The proteolytic enzyme may be incubated in ambient temperature for 1 to 30 minutes, such as 5 to 25 minutes or 10 to 20 minutes. The proteolytic enzyme may be catalytically active at neutral pH.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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